Bob slid into the seat across from me and picked up a menu.
"Some guy in the street is handing them out. Do you like
it?"

The hat was a normal looking baseball hat. On the front, over
the brim, was a tall blue pyramid.

"It's OK," I said. "What's the pyramid mean?"

"Beats me," said Bob. "I think it's just supposed
to look cool."

"But it must mean something," I insisted. "Why
else would they be giving them out free? It must be an ad for
something." I leaned against the wall and peered out the
window. "Where's the guy who's giving them out?"

Bob looked over his shoulder. "A block up the street.
Wanna go get one?"

Just then, the waitress showed up. "Maybe after we eat,"
I said to Bob. Then I ordered a turkey sandwich, and Bob asked
for a burger. While the waitress was writing it down, I noticed
2 other people come in wearing pyramid hats. Then I looked over
my shoulder and saw 3 or 4 other people in the diner who were
wearing the hats.

"The hats are pretty popular," I said.

"Yes," said Bob. "The guy had boxes and boxes
of them. You really should go get one."

"Why?" I asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"Because everyone should have a hat," Bob said.

I looked at Bob. He was sitting up very straight, almost stiff,
and was looking at me with wide, intense eyes. "Are you OK?"
I asked. "You're acting kind of strange. Did you hurt your
back or something? And quit starring at me, you're giving me the
creeps."

"I think you need to go get a hat," he replied, almost
menacingly.

I looked around the diner again and realized that I was the
only person there without a pyramid hat. Then I looked out the
window and saw that everyone in the street wore a pyramid hat.

And at that moment, the waitress returned. She too was wearing
one of the hats, and on her tray she carried, not our food, but
a solitary pyramid hat. For me.

I jumped up and ran for the door, but Bob and 2 other people
grabbed me and held me down as the waitress approached with the
hat.